New Covid-19 Strain “Eris” Being Monitored by WHO
The World Health Organization (WHO) is keeping a close eye on a new strain of Covid-19 called EG.5, also known as “Eris,” as it is increasingly detected in countries like China and the United States.
The WHO has categorized EG.5 as a “variant of interest,” meaning it will be closely monitored for any mutations that could potentially make it more severe.
According to the available evidence, the WHO states that EG.5 poses a low public health risk at a global level, similar to other variants currently in circulation. In May, the WHO declared that Covid-19 is now an established and ongoing health issue, no longer constituting a public health emergency of international concern.
Symptoms and Spread
Eris exhibits symptoms similar to previous variants, including fever, cough, sore throat, fatigue, runny nose, and changes in taste and smell.
While EG.5 has shown increased prevalence, growth advantage, and immune escape properties, there have been no reported changes in disease severity so far, according to the WHO’s risk evaluation published on Aug. 9.
These characteristics may contribute to EG.5 becoming the dominant variant in some countries or globally.
The official name of the variant is EG.5, and “Eris” is a nickname given online that has gained popularity, specifically referring to the EG.5.1 subvariant.
Based on sequencing data submitted to the Global Initiative on Sharing All Influenza Data (GISAID) as of Aug. 7, China has reported the highest number of EG.5 cases, followed by the U.S., South Korea, Japan, and Canada.
EG.5 has also been identified in Australia, Singapore, the U.K., France, Portugal, and Spain.
As of the week ending Aug. 5, EG.5 has become the dominant strain in the U.S., accounting for 17.3% of reported cases, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
Vaccine Reformulations
EG.5 is a descendant strain of a variant that shares a spike amino acid profile with XBB.1.5.
Justin Lessler, a professor in the Department of Epidemiology at UNC Gillings School of Global Public Health, explains that EG.5 belongs to the XBB lineage and is more closely related to the XBB variants than previous vaccine strains.
Due to this relationship, it is expected that the reformulated vaccines, set to be available in the fall, will provide better protection against EG.5 compared to previous vaccines.
According to CDC Director Mandy Cohen, new vaccines are anticipated to be available in the U.S. starting from late September, as the responsibility for vaccine distribution shifts to the private sector.